Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has rejected claims by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that the deportation of undocumented Afghan refugees in Pakistan has been suspended.
Baloch clarified that the plan to repatriate undocumented migrants remains in place and is being implemented systematically and in phases.
On Tuesday, Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, had confirmed the suspension of the repatriation plan for Afghans at the end of his three-day visit to Peshawar and Islamabad.
However, two days after Grandi's statement, Baloch responded, "This is not true. It should be noted that no such agreement has been reached between the Government of Pakistan and the UNHCR."
Following his meetings with Pakistani officials, Grandi expressed gratitude in an official statement for the suspension of the "repatriation plan for illegal migrants" and requested assurances from the Pakistani government to halt it.
The Pakistani government officially began the first phase of deporting undocumented Afghans last year. According to officials, 541,000 Afghan migrants were expelled during this phase.
According to official Taliban statements, the second phase of the deportation process aims to return 800,000 undocumented Afghan migrants to Afghanistan.
During his three-day visit to Pakistan, Grandi met with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Frontier Regions Amir Muqam, and other senior officials.
Grandi called for intensified efforts to find long-term solutions for Afghan refugees and to support the host community.
Following the High Commissioner's visit, the Pakistani Cabinet announced the extension of the stay for 1.45 million Afghan refugees for another year. Under this decision, refugees with "Proof of Registration" (PoR) cards can remain in Pakistan until June 30, 2025.
